Tape-supporting bracket for venetian blinds



Nov. 20, 1951 2,575,977

E. E. scHAEFER TAPE-SUPPORTING BRACKET FOR VENETIAN BLINDS Filed April 8, 1949 (9m, 31%.?, Wim/mq@ Patented Nov. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TAPE-SUPPORTIN G BRACKET FOR VENETIAN BLINDS Edward E. Schaefer, Oak Park, Ill., assignor to Theodore Efron, Chicago,

Ill.

Application April 8, 1949, Serial No. `86,292

intervals by cross-linking rungs. The horizontal slats oi the blind are supported by the rungs of the ladder tapes, and the tapes are secured at their lower ends to a horizontal bottom rail. A tilting mechanism is provided or tilting the upper rail to open and close the slats of the blind. Operating cords for raising and lowering the blind extend downwardly through openings in the slats and are fastened to the bottom rail.

Venetian blinds, as is well known to housewives and other users thereof, require periodic cleaning and washing, particularly when the blinds are finished in light colors. Although Venetian blinds are available in which the slats are removable for cleaning purposes, no means has ordinarily been provided for readily removing the Slat-supporting tapes. In the usual construction, the tapes are more or less permanently secured to the upper and lower rails, for example, by nails, screws, staples, or other fastening means.

As a result, it is only with considerable diiculty y that the Slat-supporting tapes can be removed for cleaning. and the removal procedure involves the danger of tearing the ends of the tapes and the necessity of replacing the nails, screws, staples, or other fastening means when the blind is reassembled. Accordingly, readily detachable Slat-supporting tapes are a highly desirable adjunct to the modern Venetian blind thereby permitting soiled tapes to be removed for cleani'g or dyeing when it is desired to change the color.

One object of the present invention is to provide a Venetian blind construction in which the Slat-supporting tapes may be readily removed and reassembled with ease.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tape-securing bracket for attachment to a rail of a Venetian blind by means of which the slatsupporting tapes may be detachably secured to said rail.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a tape-securing bracket for attachment to the rail of a Venetian blind which is of such construction that it is readily adapted to support the load to which it is subjected without bending or deformation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tape-securing bracket for attachment to the rail of a Venetian blind which avoids undesirable creases, wrinkles, or bellying in the tapes and effects a smooth, attractive, and unbellied appearance.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be evident upon reference to the accompanying drawings and the detailed description thereof.

Fig. l. is a fragmentary front view of the upper portion of a Venetian blind showing a bracket comprising one specific embodiment of my invention as used in conjunction with the upper or' tilt rail of the blind;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the bracket taken along the lines 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an end view taken along the lines 4--4 of Fig. 2 and showing the bracket in side elevation and the rail in cross-section; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the lines 5 5 of Fig. 2.

The particular form of tape-securing bracket depicted in the drawing for purposes of illustration is shown as mounted on the upper or tilt rail of a Venetian blind. However, it will be understood that the bracket may be used with equally satisfactory results on the bottom rail of the blind.

Referring rst to Fig. l, a Venetian blind is shown comprising a head rail IQ having a horizcntal tilt rail I'I pivotally supported therebelow with a tilting mechanism I2 of well known construction operatively connected at one end of the rail II. Mounted on the top surface of the rail II adjacent each end thereof is a tape-securing bracket indicated generally at I3. By` means hereinafter described in detail, the upper ends of a pair of Slat-supporting ladder tapes, each comprising front and rear tape members I4 and ifi (Fig. rl), are detachably secured to the brackets I3. The usual transverse rungs (not shown) extend between each pair of tape members I4 and IE for supporting the slats I'I of the blind. A pair of cords I8 for raising and lowering the blind extend downwardly from the head rail I0 through openings in the tilt rail II and the slats II and are secured at their lower ends to a bottom rail (not shown). The upper portions of the cords i8 extend through the head rail IIJ and terminate in a downwardly extending loop portion I9 for hand operation in the customary man- 55 ner.

Referring now to Figs. 2-5, each of the brackets I3 comprises a generally rectangular one-piece body portion or fastening plate 2| provided with a plurality of spaced apertures to permit attachment of the bracket by means of a plurality of screws 22 to the top surface of the rail II. rIhe body portion 2l of the bracket I3 is also provided with an enlarged aperture in the form of an elongated transverse slot 23 adapted to overlie or register'with a corresponding opening in the rail II through which the cord I8 extends. In the case of attachment of the bracket I3 to a tilt rail II, the aperture 23 is necessarily in the form of a transverse slot in order to permit the rail II to be tilted without deflecting or binding the cord I8.

Projecting from each side of the body portion 2I at opposite ends thereof is an inwardly extending tab or ear, indicated at 24, 2B, 21, and 28, each being laterally spaced from the body portion 2I and integrally connected thereto by means of a plurality of. bent connecting portions, indicated at 23, 3i, 32, and 33, respectively. As seen particularly in Figs. 3-5, the ears 24, 23, 21, and 28 are thus disposed in an elevated plane spaced from and parallel to the body portion 2 I. An elongated tape-securing side member or arm in the form of a bar 34 of U-shaped cross-section is pivotally secured at one end to the ear 26 by means of a pin or rivet 33 and is swingable about vthe pin 36 inwardly of the bracket. If desired, the upperand lower sides of the U- shaped bar 34 may be slightly pinched or crimped toward each other at the free end whereby, when the bar 34 is in closed position, the oppositelyr disposed ear 24 may be received in tight fitting recessed relation between the sides of the bar 34 for retaining the latter in closed position. A similar tape-securing bar 31 is pivotally attached to the ear 21 by a pin 38 on the opposite side of the bracket I3 and coacts in the same manner with the other ear 28.

The ends of the tape members I4 and I6 are stitched as at 33 to form loops 4I, as seen most clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, through which the tapesecuring bars 34 and 31 may be inserted for attaching the tapes to the brackets I3. By swinging the free ends of the bars 34 and 31 inwardly of the bracket I3, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the looped ends 4I of the tape members I4 and I6 can be readily slipped on or removed from the tape-securing bars. is in assembled condition, the tapeV members I4 and I6 extend downwardly from the looped ends 4I, which are retained by the tape-securing bars 34 and 31, and are deiiected to a slight extent outwardly by engagement with the curved or outwardly bowed side edges of the rail II, as indicated at 42 in Fig. 4 in which the rail II is in horizontal or untilted position. From the curved edges 42 the tape members I4 and I6 depend perpendicularly to support the lower portions of the blind structure (not shown) It will be seen that by this arrangement the weight of the bottom rail and the slats of the blind is supported by the bars 34 and 31 and, furthermore, the weight of the blind and the forces resulting during tilting of the rail I I urge the bars 34 and 31 outwardly from the bracket into tight engagement with the abutments or retaining ears 24 and 28 whereby to retain the bars in normal, parallel, tape-supporting position. Thus, inadvertent opening of the bars 34 and 31 is completely avoided during normal usage of the assembled blind. When the rail I I is tilted,A

When the blind it will lbe seen that the bars 34 and 31 are urged into closed position to an even greater extent than in the untilted position of the rail II. Y The present arrangement, in which the bars 34 and 31 are of U-shaped construction and are rmly retained against outward movement by the ears 24, 26 and' 21, 28, permits the bracket to be constructed from relatively thin gauge metal without danger of bending or distortion of the bars 34 and 31 from their normal tape-supporting position.

The spaced relationship of the bars 34 and 31 with respect to the base portion 2l and the top surface of the rail II provides the required clearance for readily attaching and detaching the looped ends 4I of the tape members I4 and I6. Obviously, however, the necessary clearance between the tape-engaging arms and the rail could also be obtained by providing appropriate recesses or cut-away portions at the side edges of the rail and mounting the base portion of the bracket so that the bars'34 and 31 project over the re-l means for detachably securing the ends of the tape members I4 and I6 to the bars 34 and 31. For example, the ends of the tape members could be provided with a plurality of hooks or bent metal strips for engaging the horizontal bars `34 and 31. Y

In order to detach the tape members I4 and I 6 from the bracket I3, the blind is rst lifted at the bottom to removethe weight from the tapes and cord. With the slack produced in the Atapes I4 and Iii by lifting of the blind, clearance is thereby provided to permit swinging of the bars 34 and 31 inwardly to open position, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the looped ends 4I or the tape members may then be slipped endwise from the free ends of the tape-supporting bars. When the bars 34 and 31 are swung inwardly of the bracket, the end portions of the bar Veventually abut or engage the body of the bracket adjacent the bent connecting portions 3| and 32 whereby to limit the pivotal movement of the bars. This is seen clearly in Fig. 2 where the bar 34 is shown in open position in dotted lines with the pivoted end thereof abutting, as at 43, the bracket at the juncture of the portion 3| with the ear 23. By the provision of the same or similar brackets at the bottom rail of the blind and by detaching the cords I8 from the bottom rail, the cords may `be withdrawn upwardly and the slats I1 removed endwise from the ladder tapes whereupon the tapes may be completely detached for washing, cleaning, dyeing, or replacement. It will be apparent that to reassemble the blind the foregoing steps are followed in reverse fashion.

The tape-securing bracket comprising the present invention possesses a number of important advantages because the bracket may be formed'from relatively light gauge metal withY only a few stamping operations employing diesof comparatively simple construction. Moreover, the assembly of the tape-securing arms on.

the body of the bracket may be accomplished by simple and inexpensive riveting techniques.v The the bracket and adapted to be rigidly retained in closed position by the weight of the blind avoids undesirable bending or distortion of the tapesecuring arms.

One form of tape-securing bracket which has been used in the past is formed from relatively heavy gauge metal with the tapes extending directly from relatively stiff tape-securing members comprising oppositely extending arms with a spaced portion between the free ends thereof. With this type of bracket the result is an unsightly creased or bellied appearance running throughout a considerable portion of the length of the tapes due to the lack of support at the spaced portions between the arms. By avoiding the use of arms of this character, I eliminate such unattractive and undesired creasing or bellying. By extending the tape members from arms of the type herein disclosed, a smooth ilat tape surface is provided on the vertical exposed portions which thus remain free of all undesirable wrinkles and creases during all positions of the blind. a

It will also be apparent that the brackets herein described are readily adapted for use with all types of Venetian blinds and are of such simple construction that the tapes and'cords may be detached therefrom and re-attached thereto by simple operations requiring neither special tools nor any particular degree of mechanical ability.

Although my invention has been illustrated and described in connection with one particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various equivalent structures and modifications of the device may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bracket for detachably securing the ends of a Slat-supporting tape to a rail of a Venetian blind, comprising a one piece body member having a flat central portion adapted to be fastened to a rail, a pair of oppositely disposed ear portions extending toward each other on each side of said body member and adapted to be positioned adjacent the longitudinal edges of the rail, said ear portions being connected to said central portion by means of integral connecting portions bent outwardly from said central portion whereby said ear portions are disposed in a plane parallel to and spaced from said central portion, and a pair of elongated tape-supporting side members in the form of bars having a generally U-shaped cross-section and adapted to have the end portions of a tape detachably secured to the central portions of said bars, each of said bars being pivotally attached at one end thereof to one of said ear portions for swinging movement inwardly of said body member in a plane parallel to said central portion for facilitating attachment and detachment of the ends of the tape, and the opposite free end of each of said bars being adapted upon movement thereof outwardly of said body member to receive the oppositely disposed ear portion within said U-shaped cross-section whereby swinging movement of said bars is restricted within the longitudinal confines of the rail, each of said bars being engageable with the oppositely dis- 6 posed ear portion solely at the free end of the bar whereby the tape is held in secured attachment on the bracket solely by the central portions of said bars.

2. A bracket for detachably securing the ends of a Slat-supporting tape to a rail of a Venetian blind, comprising a body member having an attaching portion adapted to be secured to the flat lateral surface of a rail, a pair of elongated tape-securing arms swingably attached in spaced relation at opposite sides cf said body member and adapted to have the end portions of a tape detachably secured to the central portions cf said arms, and stop means provided adjacent the sides of said body member for coaction with said arms to limit the extent of outward swinging movement thereof, said arms each being pivotally attached at one end thereof to said body member and being adapted to swing inwardly from said stop means in a plane parallel to said rail surface for facilitating attachment and detachment of the ends of the tape, and said stop means being operatively engageable with said arms only at the free ends thereof whereby the tape is held in secured attachment on the bracket solely by said central portions of said arms and whereby swinging movement of said arms is restricted within the longitudinal confines of the rail.

3. A bracket for detachably securing the ends of a Slat-supporting tape to a rail of a Venetian blind, comprising a body member having a fiat attaching portion adapted to be secured. to the fiat lateral surface of a rail, a pair of integral connecting portions disposed in spaced relation at opposite sides of said body member and adapted to be positioned adjacent the longitudinal edges of the rail, said connecting portions being bent outwardly from the plane of said attaching portion, and a pair of elongated tapesupporting arms at said opposite sides of said body member each pivotally secured at one end thereof to one of said connecting portions for swinging movement in a plane parallel to said` attaching portion and said rail surface, said arms being swingable inwardly of the body member for facilitating attachment and detachment of the ends of the tape to the central portions of the arms, and each of said arms being swingable outwardly into operative engagement at its free end only with the oppositely disposed connecting portion whereby the tape is held in secured attachment on the bracket solely by said central portions of said arms and whereby the oppositely disposed connecting portions provide stop means for restricting swinging movement of the arms within the longitudinal confines of the rail.

EDWARD E. SCI-IAEFER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,071,791 Hendricks Feb. 2:3, 1937 2,114,057 Lorentzen Apr. 12, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7,065 Great Britain 1899 

